Our Older Years
by Diporae
Summary: 2k14. Sequel to Our Younger Years. As Raphael and April's relationship continues to grow, they find themselves facing a whole new array of obstacles. Suffice it to say, dating a mutant turtle is not easy.
1. Chapter 1: Interruptions

Our Older Years

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 **A/N I do not own TMNT, but I am forever grateful for their existence!**

 **Okay so after great deliberation, I decided it was best to cut two chapters (now the first three and the fourth is brand-new material yay) from Our Younger Years and put them here thereby beginning Our Older Years. I felt it appropriate since we are now exploring a completely new element of Raphael and April's relationship than what was occurring in Our Younger Years.**

 **I have also decided to leave Our Younger Years as complete because I feel the final chapter, Christmas Light Reflections, wrapped up things the way I had been hoping and thus the story had run its course.**

 **Thank-you all for your support and love! You have made this Raphril shipper very happy! Hopefully I can continue to do the ship justice in this new fic!**

 **Diporae**

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Chapter 1: Interruptions

"Don't be ridiculous Raph! You'll freeze to death out there!"

The relatively tiny red-head placed her hands firmly on her hips as she defended the window from her boyfriend. Raphael quirked an eye ridge as he looked down at her ferocious blue eyes and chuckled, "You know, it's pretty funny to see you try to stop me."

Her eyes blazed, "I'm not letting you go out in a blizzard Raphael."

"Leo will tan my hide if I don't get back soon," He sighed, "You know that."

"Then let me deal with Leo." April squared her shoulders in determination, "He can take a chill pill for one night. Besides, even he would struggle to go anywhere in this weather."

Raphael shook his head. It was true, he did not relish going out into the whipping wind's icy barrage. Being cold-blooded did have its advantages, but travelling through snow effortlessly was not one of them. It took every bit of self-control he and his brothers had, and then some, to not fall into a state of unconscious torpor with hibernation not far behind when out in such weather.

Still, Leonardo hadn't been the easiest turtle to handle since Raphael and April had become official. The eldest had accepted their union but it was laden with wary reluctance. Raphael now knew Leonardo's difficulty stemmed out of concern for his brother and even April, but that did not mean the couple appreciated the eldest turtle's curfews or attempts to keep things as G-rated as possible for as long as he could.

Not that he needed to, Raphael and April already were taking their sweet time. Neither wanted to end up hurt and even if it was irritating at times, if it meant keeping each other comfortable, they would continue to take things slow. Besides, there were certain anatomical _realities_ that Raphael knew April would struggle with no matter how confident she claimed she was. Until Raphael was sure both he and April were fully prepared to pound out the details – so to speak – it was their unspoken agreement that said activities were off-limits.

However, that didn't mean Raphael wouldn't mind getting to spend more nights with his girl. Too bad Leonardo was a conservative stick in the mud when it came to such bedtime arrangements. Any previous sleep-overs had always heralded one of his big brother's infamous lectures followed by a workout from hell. Fuck, Raphael had even been subjected to a few extra sessions in the haishi thanks to good old Leonardo. If Raphael weren't so busy trying to prove to his brother that this relationship could work, he would have beaten the snot out of him already.

Ok fine. Raphael _had_ flipped his lid at said brother on more than one occasion regarding this particular subject, but Leonardo deserved every bloody nose he got! Besides, it wasn't like Raphael had walked away scotch free. A new crack in his shell was proof of that, and although Raphael would never admit it, the dull ache in his lower back was partly why he didn't want to incite Leonardo's ire now. At least not until he got the okay from Donatello to remove his current duct tape accessory.

On the other hand, he did have one very sexy, huffy April attempting to block his escape. Obviously, Raphael had _no choice_ but to stay. Besides, he had been given the green light to sick April herself on Leonardo, and even their _great and powerful leader_ had his limits. Raphael glanced to the side as if frustrated before glancing out the corner of his eye to give April his most impish grin, "That's how you want to play?"

Raphael had to give her credit for only balking ever-so-slightly, "I'm not playing."

"You don't have a choice."

Before she could blink, Raphael blithely lifted her into a fireman's hold. With her narrow body resting on his shoulders and shell, he held her firmly in place by grasping one knee and one arm with one massive hand. He laughed as she half-heartedly smacked his shell, "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing?" He did a quick spin causing her to squeal in delight, "I'm spending the night." He turned again as he set his sights on the kitchen, "So what do you want to do first? Eat?" He pivoted to face the couch, "Movie?" Finally he directed himself to the bed, "Something pain-in-the-ass Leonardo would disapprove of?"

"Oh I do like that last option," April giggled.

"I have my moments," Raphael smugly shrugged as he strode over to the bed. Without even an ounce of hesitation, boasting his full swagger, he easily lifted her up over his head as though she were no heavier than a pillow, before lowering them both over the mattress. Cradling her head and her ass in his hands as he straddled her, he smirked down, "And then some."

April's eyes crinkled at the edges as she beamed up at him, "Come here you."

She then grabbed the loose ends of his crimson mask. Yielding no resistance, Raphael met her where she lay pressing his lips firmly to hers. In their mirth they almost feverously slid their tongues over one another.

No longer was Raphael a virgin kisser. Sure, he still had some improving to do, but he was more than pleased that he was no longer kissing her while engulfing her face in his wide mouth. He had been a quick learner. Okay locking himself in the bathroom while his brothers were occupied to experiment making the right shapes in the mirror with his lips as he'd seen in some… rather graphic… videos… had probably contributed to that, but hell would freeze over and melt before he ever confessed to any such practices. Besides, it wasn't as though he had an older sibling who could aid him with tales derived from past experiences; the day Leonardo got laid was the day Michelangelo gave up his Orange Crush (he still didn't get why the little puke kept stashing it behind the fridge when everyone knew it was there). Nonetheless, Raphael _had_ improved. Still, even if it was paying off, he wasn't about to set himself up for a world of brotherly whoop-ass. He still was tortured over his little we're-about-to-die-so-let-me-tell-you-all-my-stupid-feelings speech and that was more than enough.

Back in the land of the euphoric here-and-now, Raphael was proving that his practice had not been that shitty of an idea. April's swift limber tongue rubbed eagerly against his large one as it thrust into his mouth leaving him more than a little excited. Feeling a warm pulse of blood to his groin, Raphael growled into her mouth, which only grew deeper as April ran her nails over the backs of his shoulder just before shell met skin. She gave his lip a little nip, egging him to run his hands under her white cotton sweater to unclip her bra. Just as he began to roll her top up, a shrill ringing pierced the apartment. Even though he was relieved it wasn't his phone, Raphael cursed under his breath. Annoyed he may lose the bundle of erotic warmth below him, "Fuck, seriously?"

However, April was not so easily distracted, "Just ignore it." She then grabbed the edges of his plastron and pulled him back down towards her, "I'm unavailable."

"Damn right you are," Raphael grinned as he began to weave a trail of tiny kisses from her forehead, to her right cheek before returning once more to her mouth. By this point, the ringing had stopped and he was fully preparing to lose himself in her heat once more. Going to pull her shirt up again, the phone began to shriek again.

This time April hissed, "What's wrong with leaving a voicemail?"

"Do you need to get it?" He quirked an eye ridge.

"No. It's nearly eleven on a Friday night. They can deal." Once more she pulled at his chest plates and once more he lowered himself. Yet just as had happened before, as soon as the phone stopped, it began to ring again. April released an agonizing sigh prompting Raphael to raise himself to kneel above her. He reached for the bedside table and grabbed the buzzing demon, "Here. Find out what they want so they can leave us alone."

April gave another exasperated sigh, but as she looked at the name she frowned, "It's Robyn." Her brow furrowed in concern, Raphael helped her to sit up as she swiped her finger over the screen, "Hello? Robyn?"

"APRIL!" Even Raphael could hear the girl on the other end, "Thank god you answered!"

"Robyn, is everything ok?" April squeezed one of Raphael's fingers and he gave her knee a comforting rub.

"Yes. No. Well I mean you know how I was down south for that big conference?"

"Yeah…" Blue eyes were bright with worry.

Robyn continued, "Well I was supposed to fly to New York, catch my connection, and then arrive in Providence tonight, but with the storm everything's at a total standstill. The soonest I can get out of here is probably going to be Monday."

"But you're okay right?"

Raphael felt April's tense muscles relax at her cousin's response, "Yeah I'm fine, just tired mostly, but I was wondering if you would be cool if I crashed at your place this weekend? Or at least until I can get out of here?"

"What?" April glanced nervously at Raphael who shrugged. He could always call Donatello to come get him. It would suck, but he got it. Seeing his reaction April continued, "Yes of course Robyn! You don't even have to ask!"

"Well I don't want to be an inconvenience…"

"It's no trouble at all. Really." April sighed as she relaxed her back into Raphael's plastron, "So when can I expect you?"

"Ah see that's why I kept calling." Suddenly a knock came at the door and both Raphael and April sat bolt upright to stare at it in terror. Robyn, obviously pleased with herself, chirped, "I'm here!"


	2. Chapter 2: Coming Out of the Pantry

Our Older Years

 **A/N I do not own TMNT, but I am forever grateful for their existence!**

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Chapter 2: Coming Out of the Pantry

"Holy shit!" Raphael hissed as he flung his sai into his belt before lunging himself across the apartment to the window, but when he opened it, a ferocious maelstrom ripped through causing April to run up beside him and slam it back closed.

Covering her phone April snapped, "Raphael, there is no way you're going out there! You're a _reptile_ remember? You'll freeze to death in five minutes!"

"Thanks for reminding me." He glowered at her as another knock came from the door with Robyn calling from the other side, "April!?" As April redid her bra, Raphael's eyes skirted from one corner of the tiny apartment to another. His huge body was feeling more and more cumbersome by the second, "Where the hell am I supposed to go then?"

April raised her phone and almost calmly replied, "Uh just a sec Robyn. I'll be right there!" She then hung up the phone and grabbed his hand dragging him to the kitchen.

He tried not to snarl as she thrust open her very tiny pantry, "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"Look, just stay in there until I get her in the bathroom." She began futilely shoving at his carapace to direct him towards said hiding spot, "Then you can use the hall and call one of your brothers for a pick-up."

Not letting her move him an inch, he looked over his shoulder at her struggling form, "I ain't gonna fit in there, April."

Another series of knocks came from the doorway, "You don't have a choice!"

Finally he took a step forward, "You owe me so big for this."

She continued to push him, "We can discuss your payment later. Get-" She grunted in effort, "In there!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going. I'm going." He spun away and carefully backed up until his carapace hit the shelves. Convinced he could go back no further he nodded to April who went to close the door. Unfortunately, as predicted, Raphael proved too big for the space for the door to close fully.

Crying in exasperation April hissed, "Can't you suck it in or something?"

"Oh I'm sorry. Is my shell in the way? Let me just take it off. Oh right," Raphael growled, "If I could do that we wouldn't be in this fucking mess!"

Azure eyes shot sparks, "Don't you start Raphael!"

"Don't _I_ start? Don't _you_ start!" He was growing more and more agitated, "You're not the one trying to squeeze into a damn pantry!"

"April?!" Robyn's voice echoed from the hallway again, "What are you doing in there?!"

"Welcome to the life of women and skinny jeans. If I can do it five days a week, you bloody well can do it for five fucking minutes," Securing the door in its almost closed position she spun around, "Just stay quiet and I'll try and keep her away from the kitchen.

Raphael didn't respond. Instead he grabbed the handle from his side and pulled it as close as he could to his body. After some terrific angling, he even managed to click it closed. He couldn't breathe, but right now that seemed preferable to April's temper.

He heard the front door squeak open, "About time!"

"Hey Robyn. Sorry this place was a mess. I just wanted to tidy it up a bit…"

"Didn't get very far did you?"

The sound of a coat ruffling as it was hung accompanied April's dry response, "Haha. Very funny."

"Awe don't be upset with me, Ace." Footsteps indicated their movement away from the doorway, "I seriously am super grateful. I know it was last minute and all."

"Pretty presumptuous to call from my apartment building." The words themselves sounded harsher than April's tone.

"Well I knew you'd say yes…"

"Oh don't give me that face," Raphael could practically hear April's eyes rolling. He gave her the same look every time she lay her own damn puppy dog eyes on him. He wasn't sure which was worse: those or her glares. "You were right. Wait. Where are you going?"

"To get a drink." Raphael winced. April had better get her act together. "Is that a problem?"

"What?! Oh no, no not at all!" The muffled sound of socks hurrying along carpet was followed by, "You just must be so exhausted from all this flying craziness! I'll get you whatever you want!"

"You okay April? You're acting kind of weird." No shit she was. Raphael couldn't even see her and he knew April was cracking under the pressure. Mind, if he were trying to hide a giant mutant turtle in his apartment, he probably wouldn't be doing any better.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Not repeating every other word would still help though, "Hey why don't you use the washroom and I'll get you that drink! What do you want? I have water, beer, milk, cranberry juice…"

"I already went at the airport." Of course she did. The only person in the world who enjoyed public washrooms had to make their visit tonight. "A cup of tea would be good."

"Oh you don't want tea!"

What the fuck was April doing? Get her to drink enough and Robyn would have to take a piss eventually!

Then it hit him.

Where did April keep her tea?

Right.

The pantry.

She _had_ to keep it in the pantry. Well that was it. They were screwed.

April continued to titter on in her nervous high-pitched voice, "The caffeine this late will keep you up all night!"

"Meh. You know me. I'm pretty much immune to caffeine. Besides I'm sure you must have some herbal." They did. It was currently digging into the back of his thigh.

"Nope. Nope. Just straight black super-caffeinated tea! How about I get you some nice cranberry juice instead?"

Yep, that was his girlfriend: The Queen of Smooth.

"April you know I hate that stuff."

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do." Raphael did not like how close those footsteps were getting. He also did not like how his right arm was starting to fall asleep crammed up next to the brown sugar and baking flour. "Look, don't worry. I can make it myself. Where do you keep it? The pantry?"

Raphael thought his heart would lurch right out of his chest. Slowly and silently, he wrapped his left hand around the doorknob. He would use brute strength to stay in his canned good asylum if necessary. The sound of April skidding over the checkered linoleum that decorated the kitchen was followed by a bang against the door. He braced himself, "Seriously? _What is wrong with you_?"

Mentally he relaxed every-so-slightly. Robyn wasn't the person against the door. That brief moment of relief quickly died when April's near hysterical voice leaked out, "Uh… Well you see…" No. No. No. April, NO! What was she doing? "It's kind of complicated."

"I'm listening." Frig Robyn sounded like April when she was pissed.

"Ok, so hear me out because it's all kind of crazy…" Oh shit. She was doing it. She was actually going to tell Robyn right here and now. "Um do you remember that one time I brought you to the lab…? You know, before the fire?"

At least the mention of such a traumatic event had cooled Robyn slightly, "Yeah?"

"Do you remember the turtles?"

"Yeah. What about them?"

"Well uh…" Raphael could hear April inhale from his side of the door, "What if I told you what they were giving to those turtles was some kind of… mutagen… and that it actually did change them? And I mean not just a little. A lot. As in it turned them into six-foot-tall giant talking turtles who actually helped save the city in the spring when the Sacks' Tower fell. Oh and Sacks was trying to use them to make a super drug to take over the world.

"Anyway, after saving the city – they're ninja by the way – the turtles and I became friends and I kind of started to get close to one of them and his name is Raphael. Remember he almost bit you? Don't worry he doesn't bite anymore… Well he bites, but not in a bad way, in a good uh… sexy way…"

Oh Lord… She did not just say that… If he had the room to move he would have smacked his palm over his face.

"Uh…" April's voice ramped up to Pentium speed as her nerves continued to obviously wreak havoc on her brain, "Anyway, we're dating now and he had to stay the night because he's cold blooded, but then you came and we hoped to sneak him out but we couldn't and then he had to hide in the pantry but now you're here and you want a cup of tea and he's in there and you might freak when you see him. Well you probably will – I did – but anyway he's really nice and I really like him and please don't hate me and please give him a chance because I really really like him. Even love him in fact."

Wow. He was speechless. If there was a right way to tell the story of their origins that was not it. Apparently Robyn was just as unimpressed as he was, "April, are you really trying to tell me that not only is there a giant turtle in your pantry, but he's a world-saving turtle that _you're dating_?"

April's voice now came from near the sink. "Yes."

"Right…" Robyn snorted, "April come on. You've told some doosies in the past, but this one takes the cake. Trust me, the truth cannot be as bad as that garbage of a lie."

"It's not a lie!" Raphael felt his heart squeeze at the pain in April's voice. Robyn had really hit a nerve.

"Give me a break April!" Robyn reacted to her sister's sorrow with anger. Oh how Raphael could relate to that, "You've never kept anything big from me for long and this is obviously eating you. So stopping being stupid and just tell me the truth!"

"B-but I…"

Oh that was it. Fuck. Raphael didn't give a shit if he gave Robyn a hernia. April had been through enough thanks to him and his brothers, she didn't need her family thinking she was a liar on top of it.

Focusing on his own anger, to block out his own nerves, Raphael turned the handle and in one quick movement had the door open to have him and every ounce of his mutant reptilian self on display in the incandescent kitchen light. Folding his arms over his plastron he growled, "She ain't lying."

Robyn was a couple of inches taller than April, but Raphael still towered over her. Like April, she was slender, but she had a little more in the hips and shoulders. Her red hair was the same shade he remembered and it was messily thrust up into a ponytail. She wore glasses that did her narrow face and blue eyes justice. There was no doubt that she was related to April, but that still didn't keep his temper from simmering near the surface as he silently dared her to laugh again.

For several seconds, her eyes just continually bounced over every inch of his green scaly skin and rough monstrous shell. Despite feeling violated by her staring, Raphael refused to stand any less than his full height. She wanted the truth, then she got the truth. Eventually Robyn squeaked, "You had a giant talking turtle in your pantry."

Before he could hurl his own choice insult back, April regained herself and strode over to hold his left hand, "He has a name. Robyn meet Raphael. Raphael meet Robyn."

Inwardly he was immensely grateful to no longer be standing alone, "Not really meeting," he grunted quietly, "We've already met."

"No way…" Robyn's voice now sounded very similar to how April's voice had during the duration of Raphael's stay in the pantry, "You're that tiny little turtle that almost bit me? The one I fed strawberries to?"

"Yeah," Raphael snorted darkly, "Bet you didn't see that one coming."

Robyn shifted nervously on the balls of her feet. "Y-you use those," she nodded at his sai, "Instead of your teeth now?"

Relaxing his frown ever-so-slightly he used his free arm to grab and twirl one of his precious blades in demonstration, "Yeah." After replacing the sai he rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry about that by the way. Didn't know who you were and… Well…"

"I freaked you out." She replied solemnly.

"You freaked me out." Raphael nodded in confirmation, "Guess the tables are turned now."

"I promise I'll leave the biting to April," Robyn gave a tiny smile and her blue eyes flickered with something Raphael had seen many times in the past in his girlfriend's eyes.

"Good thing Mikey didn't meet her before you," He looked down at April, "Can you imagine what kind of reaction he would have had then?"

April gave a soft laugh and squeezed his hand in assurance before Robyn took a tiny step forward, "Wait. Mikey? As in Michelangelo?"

"Yes." His girlfriend nodded in confirmation, "There were four remember? Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello. Raph is the second oldest of his brothers."

Robyn tilted her head curiously, "You were all from the same clutch?"

"Don't know," Raphael shrugged, "But we were raised as brothers."

"And they're all," Robyn lifted her hand above her head and nodded to Raphael, "You know…"

Raphael's eyes narrowed, "Giant mutant freaks?"

"I didn't say that!" Robyn bristled.

"You were thinking it." Raphael snapped back.

"Excuse me? Do you want me to apologize for acting shocked that my sister's pet turtle ended up growing to be both taller than an NBA all-star and her boyfriend?" Robyn took several steps forward so that she could glare up at Raphael, "Because I won't. I deserve the right to be shocked. However, I am sorry if you interpreted said reaction as prejudice because that was never my intention. Frankly, I am too busy being blown away at the fucking miracle that's standing in front of me."

That left Raphael speechless. Robyn sensed her advantage and grabbed his free right hand and to Raphael's utmost disbelief began to shake it, "Nice to see you again, Raphael." After she released his hand, leaving Raphael to stare at it silent disbelief, Robyn turned to April, "Now if you don't mind, I really would like my damn cup of tea!"


	3. Chapter 3: That Kind of Night

Our Older Years

 **A/N I do not own TMNT, but I am forever grateful for their existence!**

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Chapter 3: That Kind of Night

Awkward.

Totally fucking awkward as fuck.

That's how he felt sitting there at the table beside April across from her pseudo-sister Robyn. After their initial "greeting" April had done as requested and went straight to filling the kettle to bring up a nice piping hot cup of tea to placate the taller redhead. In the meantime, Raphael figured if he had any remote chance of avoiding further conflict that evening, he had better shoot off a text to his elder mother-hen-of-a-brother Leonardo. With no other means for avoiding conversation, and April cheerfully bantering with her cousin in the kitchen, Raphael found himself feeling more than a little out of place. It only got worse when the two red-heads decided to settle at April's small kitchen table.

It made Raphael inwardly bristle. April knew he _hated_ sitting there. It wasn't that he had anything against the table itself; however, the same could not be said regarding the tiny fragile chairs that accompanied it. First, he had to spin said furniture around just so he could sit without his pain-in-the-ass shell keeping him from the seat itself. Hearing the chair creak ominously under his ridiculous weight only made him even more cantankerous. He swore if the thing gave way before the end of the night, somebody was going to pay.

Well… Probably not given April would kill him if he made a scene under the scrutiny of her big sister. If there was one thing Raphael knew from the years of having Leonardo by his side was that you did not mess with older siblings. Sure, Raphael could piss Leonardo off all he wanted and April could do the same with Robyn, but he knew without a doubt that if he crossed whatever imaginary line he _knew_ Robyn had drawn for him, her wrath would be no less than Leonardo's had been towards April.

And Leonardo had been holding back.

Hell, Raphael doubted Robyn would grace him the same luxury. That left him with no other alternative but to sit politely atop of his kindling-of-a-chair and try not to say anything stupid, which was becoming harder and harder with every minute of silence that passed.

Fuck, it was going to be a long night.

From the corner of his eye he could glimpse April's eyes skittering nervously between her two loved ones. Raphael knew him sitting there with a scowl on his face with his arms folded over his chest did not exactly _encourage_ polite conversation, but fuck, April knew he was no good at this thing. Besides, _big sis_ wasn't exactly helping as her own eyes tried to surreptitiously examine him from beyond the brim of her tea cup. She was about as stealthy as Donatello was these days when it came to his weird pop tart fetish – since his geeky brother's confession every time one of the turtles pulled out the box to see a vandalized biscuit Donatello would promptly have said desecrated confection whipped at him from across the lair – and so Raphael could not help but deepen his frown in an attempt to disguise his inner discontent. Hardly what one would consider the best of strategies, but Leonardo was the team's _master strategist_ , not him.

Speaking of brothers, how the hell was Raphael going to explain this one to them? He couldn't just not tell his siblings about Robyn, could he? He had to admit it was very tempting to brush the entire thing under the rug. However, Raphael also knew that if Leonardo ever found out about Robyn – and more importantly Raphael's withholding of such _intel_ – his elder brother would undoubtedly try to skin him alive with his stupid katana. That or Leonardo would rat him out to Splinter and Raphael would spend the next decade in the haishi. Unsurprisingly, neither option appealed to the red-clad turtle in the slightest, which meant by the end of the night, Raphael was going to have to devise some kind of plan as to how to bring up such a delicate topic with his family.

Fuck, it was going to be a really long night.

Lost in his brooding, Raphael startled when a loud snort came from across the table. Not even pretending to suppress his glare, the mutant turtle glanced up to see Robyn giggling into her tea cup. Torn between confusion and animosity at what the girl could possibly find funny, Raphael bit out, "What?"

Placing her cup onto the table, Robyn wiped a tear from her eye, "It's the whole "skin condition" thing."

Even more confounded, the turtle ground out between his teeth, "Excuse me?"

"Hey," She raised her pale hands in placation, "You used the excuse yourself so don't get all huffy about it. I just realized how ridiculous the whole thing is. Especially after your brother made it out to be super serious."

Raphael turned his head sharply to look at April who was now also sharing a similar look of humour that her cousin was. None of this was helping to improve his mood, "My brother?!"

"Yeah," Robyn nodded in confirmation, "Leonardo basically told me to piss off when it came to asking about your appearance."

At her words, suddenly Raphael found himself chuckling despite himself, "Aw cripes. What, now 'ol Fearless is lecturing innocent civilians?"

The elder red-head laughed, ""Fearless?" Geez that's a way better nickname than Robby." She glared at April, "What gives?"

Obviously relieved that the tension at last seemed to be breaking April shrugged, "No offense Robyn, but anyone who has as many irrational phobias as you do cannot rightfully earn such a title."

Robyn folded her arms as she huffed, "They're not irrational, they're just a little… _Unorthodox_."

"Oh?" Raphael smirked at the girl, "That sounds to me like you've got some real good ones."

April tittered, "It's true; Mikey would have a field day pranking her."

The couple then exchanged impish looks and Robyn cried, "Don't you dare April! I swear if you start blabbing I will up and leave here right now."

"Not the best at debating is she?" Raphael leered as he leaned forward on the chair back, "Come on sweet heart, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing!"

Raphael had to admit he loved the crimson shade Robyn sported at that moment. It was so much like April's but had the allure of novelty: a new victim indeed. April moved closer as well, brushing up against Raphael's arm, "Ohh Robby! We are going to have so much fun with you!"

"How is preying on any of my fears fun?" The elder spat.

"Ha! This is nothing next to my brothers. Scaring each other shitless was our sole entertainment for years."

"Don't act all nostalgic, Raph," April perched her tiny hands on his elbow, "You guys are still at it. Poor Donnie probably still doesn't feel the same about his desk lamp."

Raphael waved her off, "Don't be so soft April. Brainiac fries himself every other week messing with the lair's circuitry. Rigging his desk lamp was probably like a tickle for him."

"Right, because 500 volts worth of electricity equates to a "tickle."" April responded drily.

"Uh…" Robyn raised her hand tentatively before gesturing to herself, "Can I just interrupt to say that although electricity doesn't freak me out, I do not want said experience to ever befall upon me."

The turtle regarded her a moment before smiling slyly, "Well if you don't tell me one of these "phobias" of yours I can always provide you with a bit of _incentive_."

"Raphael!" April harmlessly whacked him on the shoulder, "Don't you dare even think about electrocuting my sister!"

"Chill April!" Raphael grabbed her hands before she could smack him again, "I was only joking."

"She's not one of your thick-skinned brothers Raph! That means you have to play nice! Got it?"

"Yesh." Raphael glanced at Robyn, "Is she always this protective of you?"

The addressed red-head smirked into her tea, "Pretty much. I suppose it only fair considering I give her the same courtesy every chance I get."

"Besides, it's not like you can talk Raph," April pried her fingers from his grasp to tap him on the plastron, "Only a person with a death wish would get between you and your brothers."

"Yeah well…" Miserably failing at any attempt to prevent the heat from rising in his cheeks, all Raphael could do was shake his head as he folded his thick arms over his plastron, "Somebody's gotta do it."

His scales only continued to smoulder as April pulled herself straight before laying her arm behind his head, in between his neck and carapace. Her free hand stroked his arm as she looked in Robyn's direction, "See Robyn? He may be all tough and gruff on the outside, but underneath it all Raphael's heart is just as big as his biceps."

Face fully aflame now, Raphael pinched between his eyes, "Geez April, are you trying to humiliate me?"

Robyn crowed in glee from across the table, "What's wrong big guy? You can dish it but you can't take it?"

Golden eyes shot daggers in their guest's direction before a glitter of blue caught them back. April gave a shy little smile and Raphael felt his heart skip a beat – or two. Gently shrugging her off, Raphael cleared his throat as he stood, "Alright, enough. Any more of this and I'll swear I fell into a damn chick flick."

"What? _The_ _Notebook_ not your style Raph?" Robyn challenged.

Raphael ignored her in favour of looking at his favoured red-head, "To think I used to feel sorry about you having to put up with the guys."

April laughed, "I've had years of practice. One could say I'm a bit of a master."

As Raphael hoisted April to her feet, Robyn griped as she rose from her own chair, "Hardy har har, April. Raphael, I'll have you know your girlfriend isn't as innocent as she seems."

"Oh I know," he smirked, "That's why I love her."

The two laughed, but quickly stopped when they realized April had fallen silent. Robyn crossed the room, "You okay, Ace?"

"Yes," April gave a tiny smile, "I just… This is so much more than I could have hoped for." She gestured to Raphael and Robyn, "That you're really okay with this Robyn… It means the world to me."

Raphael looked down at April before nestling a hand on the small of her back, "April…"

But Robyn beat him to it as she pounced on her sister, "Ace." Raphael stepped back as the two embraced, "I can't deny it's a little weird – I mean it's downright bizarre, but I just want you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you. Especially after everything you've been through."

The elder pulled back to speak more clearly, "I suppose you wouldn't have thought of it the same, but when you came to live with us… Well I was feeling it too. I mean, obviously I was distraught about the death of my uncle, but what really left me rattled was how affected you were. It had only been a few months since I last saw you, but it was like you were a different person altogether. It was as though you had been hollowed out and the cousin I once knew was nothing more than a dull memory."

Robyn gave a sad smile as she caught Raphael's eyes, "Did she tell you how she barely spoke after that? How she would go days without uttering a single word but would cry herself to sleep every night?" She sighed before taking April's hands in hers, "You were ten and had enough sorrow for a lifetime. I would often wonder how someone so small could hurt so much. An orphan and we were suddenly all you had. I remember how I used to listen to you from my bedroom at night and lay awake desperately trying to think of a way in which I could make your pain go away.

"I guess it was natural then that when your smiles finally did begin to return, I viewed any such sources of happiness as something special. They were sanctioned off into my mind as though they were sacred and I came to cherish each and every one of those moments."

Pausing briefly, she nodded in Raphael's direction, "So now that you have someone that can give you that kind of happiness every day – well that's all I really care about. Scales and shell? Well they're not much of a big deal when you put them into perspective."

"Oh Robby!" April threw herself at the older red-head, undoubtedly putting every bit of strength into the embrace.

Although he was touched by Robyn's speech, Raphael still had to make something clear, and as the two pulled apart he spoke, "Not everyone thinks like you though." His arms found themselves folded once more, "That means despite however okay you are with this, you can't go around telling people about us."

"My sister's dating a giant talking turtle and I can't tell anyone?" Robyn rolled her eyes sarcastically, " _Really_!? And to think I was going to tweet it after I spammed my newsfeed."

"Look, I'm serious," He straightened to his full height, "If anyone finds out about us it could mean the end of me and my family. We've almost gotten dissected once already, I ain't about to let it happen again."

"Raphael," Robyn placed a hand on his arm, "I'm serious too. I'm not going to tell anyone. You can trust me."

Dark blue eyes pierced him from behind Robyn's lenses. Amber gaze held hers for a moment before he was satisfied. As their looks parted, the elder returned her attention to her sister, "That said – and I'm not saying you need to act on it right away – but you know eventually you should mention this to the 'rents."

April sighed as she sank back into a chair, "I know… I just have no idea how they'll react to this. I mean Uncle Auggie might be okay, but your mom… She jumps at the thought of anything green and scaly."

"Whoa," Raphael jumped in, "Wait a sec, since when did we decide to tell your family?!"

"They already know I'm seeing someone, Raphael." April perched her chin on her palm, "It's only a matter of time before they ask to meet you, and we both know I can only put off their curiosity so long before they either demand an answer or make an appearance to settle the matter once and for all." She thumbed in Robyn's direction, "Where do you think she gets her nosiness from? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Raph."

"Damn…" Raphael turned around to begin pacing across the linoleum of the kitchen. Frankly, this wasn't news to him. He himself had chewed over this exact scenario at least a million times in his mind and more since the time he first realized he had more than mere platonic feelings directed at April. Yet, he had no solution. Every time his brain attempted to tease out an answer, it usually ended up in an explosion of frustration that inevitably needed to be released in the dojo or out on the streets. "So what the hell do we do then?"

"I don't know…" April slouched deeper into her chair, "It's not like I haven't been obsessing about this already."

"And I haven't?!" Raphael spun on her, "You know how many nightmares I've had of me on your aunt and uncle's porch with them opening the door and screaming bloody murder?"

"They wouldn't scream Raph!" April's eyes lowered, "Or I hope they wouldn't…"

"See!" He snapped, "Even you're concerned about this! You and I both know they ain't just going to meet me with open arms April. Pretty sure every parent on the planet hopes their kid ends up with something other than a mutant freak!"

"Raphael!" April stood up, "Don't say that about yourself!"

"Why the hell not?" He loomed over her, "It's true isn't it?"

"GUYS!" Both turtle and human abruptly froze to turn towards the source of interference, "Just chill out for a second!" Raphael narrowed his eyes, fixing his mouth into a firm line while April plopped back into her seat. "Don't start panicking yet. We need to be smart about this if we have any chance of this not blowing up in our faces."

"Robby?" April's eyes looked up in hope.

"Yes April," Robyn smiled at them both, "I'm going to help you introduce Raphael to mom and dad, but on one condition."

The red-banded turtle quirked an eye ridge, "You really think we can pull this off?"

"I think so," she nodded, "But like I said, we need to be smart about it."

Raphael exchanged looks with April and at the pleading look in her eyes he shrugged in submission, "Alright, you've got the wheel Robyn. What do you want?"

"Easy," The girl brightened dramatically, "If you're meeting my family, I want to meet yours."


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome to the Sewer

Our Older Years

 **A/N I do not own TMNT, but I am forever grateful for their existence! We are officially into new stuff guys!**

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Chapter 4: Welcome to the Sewer

April's boots scuffed over damp echoing brick, the noise warped by the distant flow of water from some pipe or other. Her eyes were fixed forward and she dutifully followed the large turtle before her as Raphael effortlessly weaved their way closer and closer to the Lair. Trying to study the abundant cracks and chips in his carapace, April futilely attempted to divert her mind from noticing the signature odour or at least the thought of what her cousin must be thinking as they steadily descended into the very bowels of New York City. She tried not to contemplate how odd the entire situation must be to her pseudo-sister. She did not want to entertain the nagging of her subconscious; determined to make obvious the gravity of what they were doing and what April had chosen. She dared not even grasp at the strings her heart occasionally sought to tug when her Uncle Auggie and Aunt Sydney came to mind.

No. She had to keep her thoughts under lock and key. At least for the near future. One foot in front of the other. One breath at a time. First, Robyn needed to reintroduce herself to those who had long since outgrown the terrariums in which they had first met. It was time to strike another blow to her cousin's recently shattered reality and reconnect Raphael's family to this particular vestige from what was likely a long forgotten memory.

Frankly, April had been surprised by how gung ho Raphael had been about the entire affair. As soon as the blizzard let up long enough for them to venture outside, he had tucked himself into his ridiculous trench coat allowing him to get the girls to the nearest manhole and into the sewers in the frigid morning daylight. He had unsheathed himself from it as soon as his feet hit the dark depths of the ground down below before smoothly tucking it under his arm and turning to assist his companions down the ladder. From there he stoically took the lead and determinedly set himself in the direction of his family's home.

True, he hadn't said much since they left April's apartment, but she knew that didn't mean Raphael wasn't at odds with the entire encounter. Just catching a glimpse of those tumultuous amber eyes was more than enough to her to deduce the depth of his concern. He wasn't alone. April kept catching herself blinking back tears – the only indication she danced so precariously close with such potent hysteria. That said, she was pretty sure based on how often and tightly Raphael would tense his fingers into fists – he _had_ to have nail marks by now – he was probably just as close to the edge as she was.

Part of her simply wanted to hurry up and get there so they could get this whole thing over with, but the other – and just as demanding half of her – was pleading with any and all higher powers that be to somehow intervene and put a stop to this insanity. So, her mind was utterly torn between terror and anticipation when they at last arrived at the disguised sewer wall, which acted as the primary entrance to the Lair. Her brain's confusion left her heart clogging her throat and her mouth full of stomach. Oh god, the last thing she needed was to pass out in front of the guys now; she had yet to live down the first time.

Subtly swallowing down sour bile, she rearranged her face into as cheery a demeanor as she could as she turned to address Robyn, "We're here!"

Robyn looked left and right down the dark corridors before returning her gaze to this particular unassuming segment of brick, "I kind of expected more than some random sewer tunnel."

At her flat tone, Raphael grunted as he began to turn a row of valves several different directions, "This ain't it." He then pushed heavily against a thick copper pipe causing it to shift several spaces closer to the wall. A series of whirling and clicking ensued as Raphael folded his arms and took a step back as two halves of the brick wall slid apart, "This is it."

Robyn stepped forward her mouth agape, "What is this? The Diagon Alley of NYC?"

Striding past her Raphael snorted, "Naw, Donnie just humoured Mikey a little too much with the front door designs."

"Admit it Raph, you like HP as much as the rest of us," Said orange-clad turtle himself trotted out of the kitchen obviously intending for some serious teasing before he skidded to an abrupt halt as his bright blue eyes spotted their guest, "Whoa! Nobody said anything about bringing a guest!"

April whirled on Raphael, "Raph! You said you messaged them ahead!"

"Oh!" Michelangelo was already disregarding the hallowed silent societal rule regarding personal space as he loomed over the novel red-head, "And she's pretty too!"

"No." He frowned, "I said I messaged Leo. Didn't say anything 'bout this nut job."

Not even removing his stare from the newcomer Michelangelo pouted, "That hurts, Raph. Me, your one and only little brother swept under the rug."

"Don's my younger brother too you dork," Raphael grabbed the younger's shoulder and thrust him away from Robyn, "And stop that! You're freaking her out."

"Aw but Raph…" Michelangelo sulked behind Raphael's massive arm.

"Raph's right Mikey," Everyone's eyes swerved to the turtle walking into the entry way with Donatello in tow, "I don't want to ask April to give you the lecture again."

"Hey Leo, what's the deal?" Completely ignoring Leonardo's threat, Michelangelo spun at his eldest brother, "You knew she was coming and you didn't tell me!"

"I'm sorry Michelangelo," Leonardo smoothly stepped around his whining sibling to face Raphael, "I was a little distracted with the implications of a certain text regarding our revelation to a _stranger_."

"She's hardly a stranger Leo," April replied haughtily, "She's my _sister_."

"Well technically she's your cousin –" Donatello peeped up from behind before Michelangelo turned on him, "Wait! You knew too!?"

"Told him first to try and cool big bro's jets here," Raphael glared in Donatello's direction, "Not that it helped any."

"Excuse me," Leonardo stepped back into Raphael's line of sight, "Do you have any inkling as to the gravity of this situation?"

"Don't get your swords in a bunch, Leo." Amber eyes narrowed down into the elder's indigo, "Obviously I thought of that or I wouldn't have told you anything in the first place!"

"But you would tell Donnie and not me!" Michelangelo cried.

April turned mortified eyes in Robyn's direction who simply seemed to have slipped into a silent state of shock. The elder redhead's eyes kept jumping from turtle to turtle and it was almost as though they were back in April's kitchen with Raphael freshly emerged from the pantry. Although April had hardly expected this venture to go smoothly, she had at least hoped that they guys wouldn't have devolved into outright arguing right in front of her sister.

Straightening her spine in a burst of anger at how badly they were botching such an important meeting, April inhaled deeply before practically yelling, "GUYS! CUT IT OUT!" Four guilty expressions slowly swivelled to April, "Can you compose yourselves long enough to properly introduce yourselves or do I have to do it for you?"

"Sorry April," Donatello was the first to step away from his bickering brothers, "I'm Donatello."

"And I'm Michelangelo." Said turtle proclaimed managing to regain some of his earlier enthusiasm despite his chastisement.

Clearing his throat Leonardo nodded down at Robyn, "I'm Leonardo. We uh – spoke once before."

"Yeah…" Robyn nodded, "I remember." She shifted her stance nervously as she continued, "Well I guess for those of you who don't know," Her eyes flicked briefly at Michelangelo, "I'm Robyn O'Neil. April's cousin," Blue eyes flitted to Donatello, "And pseudo sister."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. O'Neil." April felt her breath catch as the final member of the Lair's inhabitants came forth, "I am Splinter. You may not recall, but I am the rat from the lab you met so many years ago."

Robyn's eyes widened at the mutant rodent, "Oh geez…" She shook her head in distress before running her heads through her hair, "How are we ever going to explain a giant talking rat to Mom and Dad?"


	5. Chapter 5: Getting to Know You

Our Older Years

 **A/N I do not own TMNT, but am forever grateful for their existence. Can I just saying having seven characters in a scene at once is not fun. To think there was a time when I thought four was tricky. Ah how far I've come XD**

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Chapter 5 Getting to Know You

Raphael wasn't sure how his life had suddenly grown so complicated in the short period of time between the night previous and this morning's insanity. One second he has getting pretty damn excited about spending the night with his girl and the next he had found himself having to not just introduce himself to her sister, but his whole family to her. Never mind the new daunting worry in the back of his mind which incessantly reminded him that said current introductions were only the preliminaries of what was to come:

Meeting April O'Neil's parents.

Well technically they were her aunt and uncle, but since the fire that resulted in her father's death, the couple had not hesitated to take April in and raise her as one of their own. Raphael had no qualms with that – he knew from experience the miracle adoptive parents could be. Splinter was a testament to that. Still, the thought of meeting April's equivalent to Raphael's Splinter made his guts quiver anxiously. Of course, that was nothing compared to how he felt when he allowed his mind to contemplate the one tiny detail of him being a GODDAMN MUTANT TURTLE!

How the fuck was he going to pull this off?

Robyn had promised her assistance in the matter, but Raphael seriously doubted how her cooperation could possibly make the situation any better. Whether the elder red-head was there or not, Raphael was still a giant talking turtle and would still have to unveil himself to a pair of individuals who had no idea their adopted daughter was dating a reptile.

Hell knew he had gone through the situation endlessly in his head:

 _April would ring the bell and her parents would answer the door as she greeted, "Mom, dad, I'd like you to meet Raphael."_

 _He would then step into view and screaming would ensue. Well screaming from her aunt anyway. Usually Raphael imagined April's Uncle Augie staring at the mutant abomination on his doorstep for all of five seconds before pulling out his shotgun._

It was right around then that Raphael would slam his imagination closed and go find something to hit. It didn't matter whether or not he was bullet-proof; being shot at by his girlfriend's father usually meant he wasn't getting his blessing, _ever_.

Yet, despite the obvious failure the entire endeavour was sure to be, here he was, allowing Robyn access into their lives. He had willing brought her to the lair. Frig, he had even put himself under direct fire of Leonardo's temper all in some tiny speck of stupid hope that maybe, somehow, by some miracle, this plan, which _was_ doomed to fail, wouldn't fail.

Damn it all, Raphael needed to stop hanging out with Michelangelo so much.

Yet, it didn't really matter whether he was an optimist like his youngest brother or a true pessimist. Deep down he knew, if he was willing to look for it, he was taking this chance because he _wanted_ it to work. He _needed_ it to work. Despite the complexity of the situation, the motivation – _his_ motivation – was simple. The truth was simple. Raphael needed April and she – as mind blowing as it was – needed _him._ As hard as it was, this was for them. It was for her. Raphael would do anything for April and if meeting – and potentially getting shot by – her parents meant keeping her in his life, he would do it. After all, not like he'd never been shot at before.

Nah, guns weren't his kryptonite. Skunks and cockroaches on the other hand… Well thankfully most of their enemies – and girlfriend's parents – didn't immediately jump to the thought of said creatures when they saw Raphael and it would stay that way…

Probably…

Hopefully…

…

But that didn't matter! What Raphael's present concern centered around was if Robyn was still okay with the entire concept of four mutant turtles and a giant rat blatantly examining her as she threaded her long thing fingers through her auburn locks utterly failing to hide her shock.

Mind, Raphael figured that telling her about the remainder of his family and actually seeing them was a whole new level of bizarre. Master Splinter in particular was probably more than a little offsetting. At least Raphael's appearance in April's kitchen had given Robyn a taste as to what she could expect from that realm of weirdness, but there was little he or April could do to prepare her for the revelation of Master Splinter. Rats got a bad rep when they were six inches long; seeing one that was over five feet tall would probably make more than a few humans shit themselves.

Still, in hindsight, actually telling the girl about his Sensei beforehand might not have been a bad idea.

Oh well. She'd lived through Raphael's pantry emergence so she'd probably be fine with Splinter.

Hopefully…

…

Cripes he was putting way too many eggs in his bloody "hope" basket. A pretty bad idea considering Raphael preferred to "do" rather than "hope." Hope to him meant sitting around waiting for shit to happen. However, patience and Raphael had never gotten along and so he rarely ever spent time "hoping." And fuck it. He wasn't about to start now.

Striding forward, he bent down and scooped Robyn up – and he was glad he did for not a second later was she out cold in his arms. Calmly, he walked the unconscious red-head to the pizza-box sofa and even let a tiny smirk cross his lips as he was reminded of a certain first meeting with a certain woman who was now fretting at his side, "Oh geez! Poor Robby! She must have been way more overwhelmed than she was letting on! I should have planned things better! I should have-"

"Cool it April." Raphael glanced at her from where he crouched on the balls of his feet, "You did the same thing when you first met us and you got over it."

"Yeah but…"

"April my dear," Master Splinter padded beside her and placed a hand on gently on her shoulder, "Do not worry. My appearance is indeed very outputting. Once when the boys were children, while I was scavenging I accidently came across an entire group of teenage boys in the park, and I have to admit to this day I wonder what the six of them thought when they came to on the grass with their lunches missing and the cause for their distress nowhere in sight." He sighed, "Knowing this, I cannot allow myself to judge those whose reactions are simply a result of fear. I am sure when your cousin awakes, she will be more receptive to the strange reality that she has recently been presented with."

"'Sides she did do pretty good," Raphael chuckled, "I thought for sure I would give her a hernia when I jumped out of that crap hole you call a pantry."

At the insult to her apartment April frowned, "You're just grumpy because I made you hide in there," she then turned her attention back to Robyn, "But you're right. She did do pretty good."

"Do you ever feel as though you spend the majority of your life as a third wheel?" The three clustered around the couch looked up where Michelangelo leaned on the sofa's back while he was flanked on either side by a thoughtful Donatello and a cantankerous-looking Leonardo.

Donatello responded to his brother's query, "Well with the four of them they could have a car all on their own. Us three may have more difficulties. I suppose since Leonardo and I were most informed on the situation that would make you the third wheel Mikey. So no, I do not feel left out."

At the smart-ass smirk Donatello shared with Leonardo, Michelangelo puffed out, "That was uncalled for bro."

Donatello was not deflated in the slightest, "That's what you get for rigging my desk lap the other day."

"Raph helped!" Michelangelo protested, "Yet I don't see you picking on him!"

"That's because I've already gotten back at him," The taller grinned fiendishly, "He just doesn't know it yet."

"I'm right here Brainiac." Raphael quirked an eye ridge.

"Yes you are," Donatello just continued to smile contently, "But you knowing it's coming won't change the outcome."

Pulling himself up so he could loom over his more slender brother, Raphael folded his arms as he sneered, "What if I threaten to pound your face into turtle paint?"

"That's under the assumption that you'll know it was me when it happens. For all you know I could have framed Leo."

"Hey!" Leonardo rose his hands defensively, "Leave me out of this!"

"Oh come on Leonardo," Donatello shot his eldest brother a glare, "I know the only reason those two nut jobs managed to get access to my lab in the first place is because you played the distraction."

Leonardo's cheek scales darkened subtly before he eyed Michelangelo and Raphael, "See, I told you we shouldn't have used that much voltage. Now we have a Donnie on the warpath and it's all your fault."

"Hey, don't go blaming me," Raphael snapped, "You're the leader, remember?"

"Never when it comes to pranking!" Leonardo retorted, "I'm always the lackey. Whenever I come up with an idea you always shoot me down."

"That's because your grand schemes involve unplugging random appliances." Michelangelo rolled his eyes, "You really think pulling the cord on the TV counts as a prank?"

"Yes!" The blue-clad turtle defended, "It's the worst when you go to turn it on and it doesn't work!"

Raphael groaned sarcastically, "You're one hell of an evil mastermind, Leonardo."

"Dude," Michelangelo countered, "You do realize you're the only one in this household who automatically panics if something's not turning on, right? Everyone else knows to check the outlet." The youngest continued, his voice laden with pity, "That's why I don't have to put much effort into pranking you. All I got to do is unplug your bedroom lamp and you're shouting for Donnie to come and fix it in less than ten seconds."

"You only got me with that once!"

"Technically it was twice." Donatello corrected, "Mikey got you the next day except instead of pulling the plug he loosened the bulb."

Michelangelo shook his head in disappointment, "It's just sad dude."

"Are they always like this?" A somewhat groggy voice emanated from the couch cushions.

The group looked down to see a pale, but awake Robyn looking around curiously at the odd family. April laughed, "You have no idea," as she gave her cousin a massive hug, "How are you feeling?"

"A little embarrassed but otherwise no worse for wear." She twisted around allowing her to face the three turtles leaning over the back so she could zero in on Leonardo, "You really freak out that much over a lamp not turning on?"

"I don't freak out!" The eldest bristled.

"Don't let his calm and cool demeanor fool you." Michelangelo practically beamed, "He falls for the simplest of pranks. Big and extravagant rarely work on Leo, but put a little tape on the bottom of the computer mouse sensor and he flips."

Leonardo pouted at Donatello, "How come that never works on you?"

"Oh please," The taller turtle waved dismissively, "Mikey tried that on me years ago, but do you really think the guy who built the thing from scratch wouldn't know what was up?"

"It's true," Michelangelo smiled wistfully, "It only took him one failed mouse swap before he turned it over and found the tape. It was such a flop of a prank he never even got me back for it."

"That's what you think." Donatello simpered.

"What?!" The youngest suddenly was nervous, "No you didn't!"

"If that's what lets you sleep at night, keep telling yourself that." He pushed his glasses further up his face before turning to make his departure, "It was nice to meet you Robyn. Sorry to cut the meeting short, but I have some _affairs_ I need to attend to."

"Nice to meet you too Donatello." Robyn smiled in goodbye, but was barely heard over Michelangelo's cries, "What do you mean "affairs?!" What are you plotting D?!"

The orange-clad turtle then bolted after his brother before returning briefly to wave, "See you on the flip-side Robby."

At Michelangelo's disappearance, Robyn glared at April, ""Robby?" You told him my nickname?"

"It's not like it's a big secret." April slid down beside the elder, "Besides, be thankful he's going with that. Mikey's bag of pet names is filled with a lot worse."

"Angelcakes has stuck rather strongly hasn't it?" Master Splinter's eyes glittered as he tried to restrain his amusement.

April sighed, "Unfortunately."

"Personally I always enjoyed it when he referred to Leonardo as "Da Vinci."" Splinter mused as he sank into his own recliner, "But I am afraid I do not share the same attachment to most of your choice terms of endearment, Raphael. Referring to Michelangelo as a "little puke" just doesn't have quite the same ring to it."

"Ah…" Raphael rubbed the back of his clothed head, "Well it's not really meant to, Sensei."

"Indeed," The rat nodded, "But I feel as though you could still be just as discourteous while exercising a bit more _finesse_."

"Wait…" The largest turtle cocked his head curiously, "Are you giving me permission to _insult_ Mikey?"

"Oh I see it as unavoidable given his chosen occupation during your absence last night." Splinter's bright eyes were no longer even trying to disguise his mood.

April snorted in laughter, "See Robby? You're not the only one who takes after their parents."

Robyn nodded as she smiled in agreement, "Even if your father happens to be a giant talking rat." Silence fell over the two remaining turtles while Splinter simply folded his hands patiently in his lap. April fiddled nervously with the edge of her sweater as Robyn ceased the awkward silence by continuing, "I'm sorry if I offended you just now… and earlier when I fainted." She shook her head warily, "It's just a lot to take in and to be honest, I look at you all and can't help but find myself mulling over those little lab animals April took me to meet and how they somehow managed to turn into you guys. It's like my mind keeps trying to crunch it out into something sensible, but as soon as it gets to the part where you uh… _Grew up_ it stalls, as though it's incapable of processing it."

Master Splinter nodded, "Do not fret Ms. O'Neil. We cannot expect you to immediately adjust to our existence. Especially, when I suspect my sons are feeling similarly disarmed by your appearance.

"All creatures thrive on stability. Even the slightest change, no matter the nature of it, can leave a being with some degree of vulnerability, and until they learn to adapt to such discourse, they will be unable to feel at ease. It is during this period that discomfort arises, thereby allowing fear to take root.

"This feeling is universal to all of us. Yes my sons' situation may have a different origin, but their yearning for stability and comfort is just as inherent to them as it is to you. You see the origin does not matter to a feeling. A feeling has no conscious thought. It is simply a visceral reaction. Discomfort is discomfort, just as sadness is sadness, and grief is grief. I often find myself wondering if only our world could understand the universality of such manifestations, empathy and therefore understanding would not seem so unobtainable.

"So do not apologize for your feelings, Ms. O'Neil. They have just as much validity here as do my own. All I ask is that instead of regret, consider using this energy to look beyond yourself. Then perhaps you shall see you are not alone in your discomfort and therein you may discover a new source of empathy."

"Wow…" Robyn gazed wide-eyed at Splinter, "I… I never thought of it that way."

"Alas, it is the nature of the beast to wish to isolate itself from others when it is in pain." Splinter smiled sadly at his hands, "How much different would things be if we did not seek to hoard our pain and instead sought to share it? Then perhaps we would realize how much we share with others and discover we are not really as alone as initially perceived."

The group fell into contemplative silence for several moments before Leonardo quietly interrupted the thrumming thoughts of his companions, "This is a little off topic, but Robyn," He said her name as though almost unfamiliar with the sound, "I thought you were married? Aren't you no longer Ms. O'Neil, but Mrs. Wilson now?"

Robyn blinked startled, "I'm impressed you remember Leonardo!" She then blushed, "You're right, I am Mrs. Wilson now, but in all the chaos I forgot. It's only been a couple of months." She laughed, "I guess I'm still getting used to it. I have to admit it doesn't help me adjust when all my credentials are still under O'Neil and so all my colleagues and peers continue to refer to me by my maiden's name."

"Credentials?" Leonardo leaned further in interest against the sofa's back, "May I ask what you do?"

"Of course!" Robyn pushed up her glasses, "I did my degree in general biology, but really focused on microbiology. I ended up doing my master's in the field and now work with a team essentially studying human intestinal microflora."

Leonardo blinked, "You mean like bacteria?"

Robyn smiled brightly, "Yep, but the good ones that make your colon healthy."

"There are good bugs?" Raphael frowned skeptically.

"Of course there are!" Robyn began listing off from her fingers, " _Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus_ , and-"

"Whoa Robby," April cut her off upon seeing Leonardo and Raphael exchange wary looks, "You don't need to go listing off all the names to us." Upon seeing Robyn's crestfallen expression she plowed on, "BUT don't worry! I'm pretty sure Donnie would love to hear all about it."

"Yeah?" The elder brightened a bit, "He into microbio too?"

"He's into science period." Raphael shook his head with a tiny grin, "Actually just learning. Pretty sure it's Don's mission in life to know ever tiny detail about every little thing."

"Yep," Leonardo nodded, "How it works, why it works, what's needed to make it work. He's definitely your guy to hash out bacteria with. He's a way better conversation partner when it comes to that sort of thing than we are."

"Don't sell yourself sort Leo." April rose up on her knees to look at him better, "You do try to learn stuff to keep up with Donnie."

He shook his head, "I learn enough so that he doesn't feel like he has no one to talk to about it, but I can only go so far. I just don't have the time and honestly – the _motivation_ – to learn it as in depth as he does."

"Sounds like you're a pretty good brother, Leo." Robyn gave him a tiny grin, "I doubt most would go that out of their way for their siblings."

"She's right. I sure as hell don't." As Leonardo's cheek scales set fire, Raphael walked around the couch to pull him into a headlock, "Leo you're damn better than any of us deserve."

Leonardo stopped struggling at that to catch his stronger brother's eye, "Wow… Uh… Thanks Raph."

"Hmph." Raphael broke his gaze away to look up at anything other than his brother, "Don't let it go to your head. Anyone who freaks out as much as you do over jack shit is still a dork."

The elder sighed, "I knew it was too good to be true."

Raphael released him to sucker punch Leonardo in the shoulder, "Just keeping you on your toes bro."

"Right." Leonardo snorted, "You're a straight-A saint Raphael."

"You know it." said turtle smirked.

Suddenly a quiet snicker came from Master Splinter's direction. The four young adults turned curiously in his direction. Leonardo questioned, "Sensei?"

"Oh yes," Master Splinter's eyes were most definitely glittering in sheer amusement now, "You both undoubtedly deserve Donatello's prank."

April and Robyn burst out laughing while Raphael and Leonardo exchanged nervous glances. Still, despite the cloud of mischievous doom lurking in his immediate future, Raphael couldn't help but quirk the corner of his mouth in a grin. If Robyn was still sitting in their home and despite the odds still having a good time, maybe not all was lost.

Well at least until Donatello had his revenge.

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 **A/N Okay, I admit it, I am totally for the idea of Master Splinter being all philosophical and serious, but also totally getting a thrill out of the turtles' shenanigans. Well at least 2k14 Splinter anyway. Also Donnie is an evil genius shit disturber and Leo is great at detecting big stuff but little daily minutia that he trusts is constant is his biggest downfall. I may have a highly amusing mental image of him flicking "on" a lamp and it not turning on. Then flicking the switch off then on then off then on before a flurry of mad flicking ensues before he gets fed up and shouts for Don. Don't be too hard on Leo though, I too have issues with this. Sometimes all you can do is laugh at yourself right?**

 **Also sorry for the lack of direct Raphril, but don't worry it's coming!**

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 **To my lovely reviewers:**

 **babygirls1902: Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying it enough to want me to keep going :)**

 **Guest: Yeah I'm not a fan of it either so I'm trying to subtly avoid it while keeping as true to his character as I can. Still, in the last chapter, he was just really excited because I feel of all the guys Mikey has the most trouble reeling himself in at times and I wanted to show that. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Setoangel01: HURRAY! I gotta admit I was obsessing over the issue of whether I should split the fics for months (in the back of my brain while studying lol). I'm def glad I did it in the end though. I really think it works much better this way. I also am SUPER excited for the meeting. I've had that one also churning in the back of my brain forever and know it'll be a ton of fun to write! Thanks for all the love!**


	6. Chapter 6: Moving Forward

Our Older Years

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 **A/N I do not own TMNT, but I am forever grateful for their existence!**

 **I am so sorry for the hiatus guys (let's be real that's essentially what it was)! I wanted to get something out on this fic sooner, but after the last chapter I hit hard-core writer's block. I kept trying and all of my previous attempts just kept going nowhere. Seeing the new movie finally gave me a jolt and after a few weeks of debating, I decided to jump forward into the future a bit. Thus, 2k16 'verse now merges with 2k14! This chapter and forward takes place after OOTS. Consequently, if you haven't seen it A) do it! and B) spoiler alert.**

 **Hopefully, this jumpstarts my motivation on this fic and I can update more regularly after this. Fingers crossed! Thanks for reading and sticking with me guys despite the delay and for all your support!**

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Chapter 6 Moving Forward

With Robyn's departure, both April and Raphael as well as the rest of the turtles fell back into their own routine. April continued to work long hours, but gradually she was indeed carving out her own unique space as an investigative reporter. The turtles meanwhile found themselves in what they themselves could almost describe as a rut. Perhaps it was with Vernon Fenwick's rise to fame by claiming the brothers' feat of dispatching The Shredder as his own. True, they could hardly take credit for it themselves, and they had indeed needed a scapegoat in order to deflect any unwanted attention to their nocturnal activities, but as "The Falcon" became more popular, the turtles subtly became more nonplussed by their situation. Still, the season wore on and just when it seemed as though winter would never loosen his frosty jaws from the city, spring arrived. With it came the end of the mutants' monotony.

From the moment The Shredder escaped captivity, the brothers found themselves with little room to breathe. As all periods of such intense stress often go, there was little deep thinking in the moment, and soon enough they were distracted with attempting to prevent Commander Krang from entering their dimension. By some miracle – and more than a good dash of turtle luck – the team – including their newly acquired misfit, one Casey Jones – had seen success. It was only in the days following, after the turtles were presented their own honorary keys to the city that unaddressed matters and feelings slowly seeped to the surface.

Raphael and April were still very much a thing, but there was no denying that every time the largest turtle caught sight of his girlfriend laughing at one of Casey's jokes or standing particularly close to him that a stinging coil of jealousy would wind around his stomach. It wasn't that Raphael had anything specific against their new human friend; if anything he much preferred the cop's company to _The Falcon's_ , but there was still something there. A hopeless lump of unease that pulsed every time Raphael's cruel mind wandered to the realty of just how much better off April would be if she weren't dating him. Casey could offer her a _normal_ _life_.

True, Raphael had chosen to remain a turtle and did not regret that decision, for deep down he had an indestructible love of being a ninja and was proud of how he had sculpted his body through endless hours of training and devotion to be capable of almost any physical feat. Admittedly, a major part of why he had been so set on sneaking into police headquarters to steal the purple ooze was just so that Leonardo would no longer have claim to that decision. It was not his eldest brother's choice alone to make. It was all four of theirs, and Raphael had been more than willing to go to drastic measures if that was what it took to teach Leonardo that lesson.

However, when given a chance to cool off, Raphael knew he could never forgo his true nature. He was a turtle. He had always been a turtle. It was _who he was_. Deep down no part of him would ever wish for anything different.

However, although he knew without a doubt that he would not ever take the opportunity to become a human, he wished there was a way he could give April the world she deserved while he could retain such an integral part of his identity. Raphael loved April more than anything, and a great deal of his admiration for her stemmed from that fact that she loved him as he was – reptilian exterior and all. It was that venomous thread of envy that continuously slithered from his heart at every moment he glimpsed Casey interacting with April that threatened to poison everything the couple had worked so hard to achieve.

Yet, while Raphael was left with his own maelstrom of tumultuous thoughts, a certain red-headed reporter found herself in her own stormy emotional seas. Unlike what Raphael's envy might believe, April's difficulties were rooted not in her feelings for Casey Jones – she viewed that relationship as completely platonic – but for what her boyfriend had chosen to keep hidden from her during those chaotic few days. Of course, there had been little time for heart-to-hearts during those pre-portal-opening events, but there had still been plenty of opportunity for April to be given a certain rather-imperative bit of intel: the purple ooze had the ability to effectively render her adopted family into _homo sapiens_. However, despite being asked for assistance in the very perilous mission for said near-magical concoction, Raphael had failed to mention the true nature of said canister's contents.

It wasn't that April wanted Raphael to become human; if anything, her feelings were the opposite. What left her so very disconcerted was that he had not kept her in the loop. She knew he had to have been struggling tremendously through the entire situation, and though there had hardly been time for it then, even in the weeks following he had never mentioned it once. She had found the truth out through Donatello, one evening during one of Casey's visits, and frankly considering the gravity of what had happened, April was more than a little hurt Raphael had not approached her himself.

The red-head was not so lost in delusional entitlement that she believed herself to have a say in such a monumental decision. It was the brothers' choice to make, not her's. However, she still was supposed to be Raphael's girlfriend. Was it so surprising that she would want to be told of such events even if it was after they occurred? April wanted to care and support Raphael. How could she possibly do so if he continued to keep her walled off from the deepest depths of his heart?

It was with these heavy thoughts binding them that the couple found themselves one June evening. As was the trend since Krang's attempted invasion, April was stuck working late. She had been a major witness to the near-catastrophe, and as such, she had invaluable information that no other reporter in her office had. Consequently, the last worker on the floor that night once again was her.

Blue eyes were more than a little dull as she cinched her fingers through her oily hair. It was in as desperate need of a wash as the rest of her, but April knew she was going nowhere until she finished up the report that unrelentingly glared at her from her monitor's screen.

Before meeting the turtles, April would have taken her work home with her well before such an ungodly hour, but her apartment's AC was on the fritz. Between the stifling heat and the simple fact that she seemed to focus better in her office space, it had been easy opting to stay right where she was even after the night janitor said his goodbyes for the night.

It was nearing midnight when a slight tapping could be heard from the air vent above her. Giving the tiniest of smiles she called, "Come on down, Raph. No one's left."

Long ago upon her rehire at Channel 6, Donatello had hacked and modified the hidden cameras in April's office building. Now all the ones on her floor fed straight to him while the twentieth floor had its feed doubled up acting for both her floor as well as its own. To the average guard they would never notice the twenty-first floor's footage was actually that of one below. Even if they did, Donatello had a set of emergency alarms set when his brothers came to visit April (or as was more often the case Raphael picking her up and insisting she go to bed like a normal human being) effectively preventing them from ever being caught unaware.

"Big surprise." Raphael muttered as he dislodged the grate before plopping soundlessly to the ground, "Midnight on a Tuesday? What a bunch of slackers."

Well aware of his unimpressed tone she sighed, "Don't be like that. You know I've had a ton of work to do because of this case."

Raphael snorted as he positioned himself to lean on against her filing cabinet, "I'm not being like anything." He folded his arms, "I'm just here to catch you when you finally pass out at your desk."

"How very chivalrous of you." April rolled her eyes, "It's going to be a while yet though."

"No big deal." He shrugged, "I got time."

"What, no chasing baddies tonight?" Her fingers clicked away at the keys.

"Got a couple car thieves on the way, but with the rain not much is going on."

"It's raining?" April shimmied forward on her chair so she could peak through the cheap beige plastic blinds. Sure enough her gaze was met with a splattering of raindrops arranged randomly across the plane.

"Only for the last three hours." He smirked at her surprise before nodding at the screen, "Whatcha working on anyway? Its got you hooked."

"Mine and everyone else's." She flopped back into the chair, "There have been way more witness accounts of me taking off with that canister of ooze than I thought. Between that and the already well-documented dealings TCRI had with this whole thing people have been demanding to know more about it. My boss wants answers and I'm the one who has to give them."

Even without looking she could sense his body tensing, "And what are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm still sitting here." April pushed her hair off her forehead in frustration, "Not the truth, obviously."

"They already saw a space ship come out the sky, April. I doubt a report saying how it turned two dorks into a rhino and a pig are going to be all that shocking."

"No…" Dark lashes concealed her eyes for a brief moment as she considered her next words before she murmured, "That's not all it could do though. Is it?"

Her words may have been quiet, but Raphael's hearing was far too good to miss them. When she met his golden eyes she had no doubt that he had recognized their meaning. After a long silence he deflected, "Nobody needs to know about that."

Azure eyes darkened, " _Nobody_ , huh? Is that why Casey and I got to hear about it from Donatello?"

At Casey's name, Raphael pushed himself away from the metallic cabinet, "That meathead definitely didn't need to know."

"And me? Have I been delegated to the meat isle too?" She snapped.

"No," Inundated with his own flood of anger Raphael's fists clenched at his sides, "I don't want you anywhere near that dweeb!"

"Excuse me?!" April was standing now, her own ire a force to be reckoned with, "Since when do you get off telling me what I can and cannot do?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The turtle towered over her, growling back, "I made the wrong choice didn't I? I should have done what you wanted and drank that stuff. Then you'd have a human boyfriend and wouldn't have Jones as a constant reminder that I screwed up!"

April was stunned into silence, which only spurned Raphael to snarl further, "Well I got news for you O'Neil: I'm a turtle and I'm going to stay a turtle." He straightened adamantly, "And you know what? I'm freaking proud of it!"

"I can do shit no human can." He pointed to the window, "It was me and my _turtle_ brothers that saved this city _twice_! It's _us_ who are out there all night doing what the cops can't. It's _us_ out there who can make a difference because of _what_ we are!" Turning away from the glass he gestured to himself, "This is _who I am_ and I'm not going to change it. Not for you, not for anyone. _This is_ _me._ "

"I do get it though." Breathing heavily he looked away as his voice began to waver, "Jones' got stuff that I don't that I can never give you." Amber eyes closed momentarily as he shook his head, "I can't do it though. If keeping you means becoming human I can't do it..."

Finally at his loss for words, April threw herself up and wrapped as tightly as she could around his plastron, "Raphael… Raphael I would never ask you to be anything other than you. I love you as a turtle, but if you wanted to be a human I'd support you too. None of that matters to me. All I care about is you."

He refused to meet her eyes, forcing himself to stare over her head, "But Casey…"

"But Casey nothing!" April released his abdomen only to pull at his arms, "Look at me." Her words forced him to begrudgingly meet her eyes, even now he could deny her nothing, "Casey is just a friend and that's all he'll ever be. You know why that is?"

Raphael slowly shook his head and she smiled, "Oh Raphael, isn't it obvious? It's because I have you. No one in this world – human, turtle, or otherwise – could replace you in my heart."

Feeling his cheeks heat he muttered, "Then why were you so pissed about the purple ooze?"

"Oh Raph, you goof." April rested her forehead against his chest plates, breaking his gaze, "I just wish you had told me about it."

"Because you wanted to help me choose –"

"No. Stop right there." She cut him off by looking up once more, "That decision was not for me to make and I never would have tried to make it for you. It was between you and your brothers. I only wanted you to trust me with the truth. I get it was busy during, but there was plenty of time once things calmed down, and yet you didn't." April sighed forlornly back into his chest, "How can I support you Raph if you won't let me in?"

"I… I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be disappointed!" He blurted out.

Her head snapped back up, "Why would I be disappointed?"

"Oh come on April," She felt his muscles bunch anxiously under her finger tips, "How could you not be? I was given the chance – probably the only chance I'll have get – to be human and I turned it down."

"And even if you did you still would choose to be a turtle, right?"

He nodded, "No question there."

"Then I've chosen to be with a turtle." April rubbed her thumbs on his biceps, "I made that choice a long time ago and it hasn't changed. I know what I've signed up for, Raph. I haven't made this decision lightly."

"I know you haven't," He sighed, "But sometimes when I see you with Casey…"

"You get jealous." She finished.

"I get jealous."

Pulling away, April tousled her hair in thought as she paced. She continued like this for a while leaving Raphael to simply wait. Finally, when he was about to suggest he leave, she spun towards him, "It's time, Raph."

Clearly not on the same thought train he frowned, "Time for what?"

"You still doubt I'm going to back out on you. I need to prove to you that's not the case."

"Okay…" He ran a green-scaled hand over his clothed skull, "Which means…?"

"It's time you meet my parents, my Aunt Sydney and my Uncle Auggie."


End file.
